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IMAGING SECURITYBy Paul WorthingtonImaging technology delivers near-omniscient surveillance. In the past, surveillance systems were found in only two extremely different locations: high-end private residences and corporate offices, or stop-and-rob convenience stores. In the near future, almost all aspects of public life will fall under the watchful eye of security cameras. These systems won’t be analog feeds from black-and-white video cameras seen by one half-asleep guard and archived on creaky tape decks. Tomorrow’s surveillance systems will feature tiny digital color cameras with instant image transmission and immediate archiving into searchable, cross-referenced databases. A person caught on camera in a crowd in California could be instantly identified based on a NYC driver’s license photo.
Farfetched? No. The technology isn’t just being developed – it’s for sale today. Thanks to the growing concern for security in the U.S. prompted by fear of further terrorist attacks, implementation of these technologies is being accelerated, as is the development of more refined systems that are easier to install and use – and harder to notice. There are already more than two million cameras used for safety and security in the U.S. according to Security Industry Association estimates; they are inside ATMs, retail stores, casinos, elevators, parking garages, airports, and mounted at intersections where traffic cameras automatically ticket drivers who run a red light. And for consumers, a hundred bucks or so buys a “nanny-cam” to secretly spy on in-home caregivers – or others. Business Boon All of the above doesn’t just mean it’s a good time to invest in infoimaging technology companies – it means that many firms can benefit from these systems. The deterrence value of an omnipresent surveillance system could drastically reduce internal and external theft and sabotage – as well as cut the costs of security personnel. For example: viewing a wide area with a standard analog security system requires multiple cameras or expensive and cumbersome remote controlled pan and tilt mechanisms. Technology such as Internet Pictures’ iPix system, however, captures 180-degree views through a fisheye lens on one camera, then automatically corrects the lens’ distortion on a PC monitor. The user can “aim” the view angle as desired, like using a remote-controlled panning and rotating camera, except there are no moving parts. Also, the feed from one fisheye camera can show multiple simultaneous views, as its 180-degree field of coverage displays in six windows on a PC monitor. Internet Pictures says there are now hundreds of installations using the iPix technology for security planning, ranging from utilities to agriculture and more, and including such companies as General Motors and FedEx. The technology also figured heavily into the overall security at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The latest security cameras also have mini-servers built-in – meaning they can be addressed by a network or through the Internet without added hardware. For example, Pentax Technologies’ Pentax VersaCam IC-4 not only connects to the Internet without a host server, the camera itself can serve as a host for four other security cams. Big Brother – Or Not Britain has taken the lead, with a network of over two million cameras in operation. In some areas, crime reportedly dropped by thirty percent within days of the cameras going online. Recently the Washington, DC, police announced they are building what will be the nation’s biggest network of surveillance cameras, modeled after Britain’s. In the private arena, Austin, Texas’ Security Broadband’s SafeVillage system lets a monitoring staff use cameras and intercom stations to see and hear what’s going on in their customer’s homes. In a few short years infoimaging technology will be omnipresent and pervasive in a way that George Orwell could never have foreseen. This has of course raised concerns with civil rights activists – but the other side of the coin is that having public actions become a matter of public record can be a huge boon to a civil society. In this scenario, better infoimaging technology becomes a knowledge tool that business, government, and private citizens utilize for both freedom and security.
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